Loss

In the soft glow of lantern light, Michio reclines on his futon, a carefree smile gracing his lips as he looked across his room to see a younger figure reclined on their own futon. Tobikizu. Michio grinned, yet his expression got serious. 

"So, what do you think cursed spirits are, Tobi?" Michio asks, his eyes twinkling with curiosity.

Tobikizu pauses, his expression thoughtful. "Well, I reckon they're just bundles of negativity, you know? Like, all the bad vibes in the world mashed together into one big, pitiful mess."

Michio chuckles, nodding in agreement. "That's quite the noble view you've got there, little bro. But hey, maybe you're onto something. Maybe they're just misunderstood souls in need of a hug!"

As their laughter subsides, Tobikizu grins mischievously. "Well, if that's the case, maybe we should start a 'Hug a Curse' campaign! Think of all the good karma we'd rack up!"

Michio bursts into laughter at the image of trying to hug a rampaging curse. "Oh, definitely! I can see it now: 'Free Hugs for Curses!' We'd be the talk of the town!"

Tobikizu would look up at the ceiling, "Big bro," he started.

Michio raised a brow, "Yeah?"

Tobikizu looked at him with serious eyes, "You should let me go on your next mission."

******************

He stood frozen in the doorway, his heart seizing as he took in the scene before him. Hanari knelt beside Tobikizu's lifeless body, tears streaming down her face as she cried out in anguish. The sight was a stark contrast to the warm memories Michio cherished.

"It's your fault! All of this! It's all because of you!" Her words struck him like a physical blow. It was true. This was all his fault. Takeshi stood by her side, his own tears silently staining his cheeks.

For a moment, Michio felt as if the weight of the world had come crashing down upon him. Why'd he listen?

With trembling hands, Michio made a vow.

'I promise, Hanari, Takeshi. I won't let anyone else die. Not while I'm alive..

Never again..! '

*******************

As Takeshi and Hanari briskly made their way through the bustling town, the streets hummed with life. Vendors called out their wares, children laughed and played, and the air buzzed with the energy of everyday life.

"Why is Michio so fixated on Kyofu?" Hanari's voice sliced through the quiet like a blade. She shot a sideways glance at Takeshi, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "There's no way they'd send Kyofu on a mission like this so soon. Takeshi, what's really going on?"

Takeshi remained silent. She raised her voice, "Why?! Answer me!"

Finally, Takeshi stopped his stride and turned to face her. "Because someone like Kyofu is too valuable to risk being exposed to the Fujiwara clan," he replied. "We need to make him the best jujutsu sorcerer he can be before they can get to him. Teach him right from wrong. Otherwise, it might be better for Kyofu to die here rather than let him continue living in that environment." Hanari's eyes flashed with anger, her voice rising sharply. "Michio is out of his mind if he thinks we'll stand by and let him throw Kyofu into the fire!"

Takeshi's tone was calm but resolute. "It won't come to that. Michio and I see Tobikizu in Kyofu. We won't let him die like he did."

Before Hanari could retort, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air. Hanari's gaze snared to their left, and her eyes widened as a horde of curses erupted from the ground in the middle of the crowd.

*******************

"Come on..!"

(This was not a black flash.)

The curse staggered back, momentarily stunned by Kyofu's sudden surge of strength. Michio watched from the sidelines with a knowing smile, his confidence in Kyofu's untapped potential evident.

The first strike was a swift left jab, followed seamlessly by a powerful right hook that landed squarely on the curse's jaw. The impact reverberated through the air as the curse staggered backward. Kyofu didn't let up, pivoting smoothly to deliver a rapid combination of punches—a right cross followed by a left uppercut.

Michio's gaze remained fixed on Kyofu, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Look at him go," he muttered to himself, a glint of pride in his eyes. "Truly a natural."

Michio's attention shifted slightly as he honed in on the lingering presence nearby. He could tell they're being watched. A chuckle escaped Michio's lips. "Well played, indeed, Shirogane," he murmured under his breath. 

"I could expand my technique to Kyofu," he mused silently. "Combo Breaker might just give us the edge, but that's only if Kyofu can keep this up and not use his technique."

A sweat bead dripped down his forehead. "Why the delay?" he wondered, his tone laced with suspicion. "Are you sizing us up and waiting for an opening?" His eyes began flickering with excitement.

*******************

Takeshi swiftly manoeuvred through the crowded town, his movements precise and calculated. As a Grade 2 sorcerer, he relied on his agility and the versatility of his cursed technique, "Echo Palm." This technique allowed him to emit concussive waves from his palms upon contact with cursed spirits.

With a swift sidestep, he dodged a grasping arm and retaliated with a precise strike from his Echo Palm, aimed at a nearby curse. He emitted concussive waves upon impact, momentarily staggering the curse and providing Takeshi with an opening to unleash a powerful punch into the curse's head.

Meanwhile, Hanari focused on corralling the panicked civilians, guiding them away from the immediate danger. "Stay back! Move towards the main street!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. She directed the crowd with firm gestures, her eyes scanning the surroundings. "Why're there so many?" she mused to herself. Sweat began dripping down her head.

Hanari's mind wandered back to that distant memory, the image of her father's warm smile etched in her thoughts. The gentle lapping of waves against the shore brought a sense of calm, contrasting sharply with the chaos she had just witnessed. She sat up slowly, the sand cool beneath her palms.

"Dad..." Hanari murmured, a mix of nostalgia and longing in her voice. Shirogane's smile was reassuring. Her eyes trailed upward as she gazed up into the sky.

"Are you alright, Hanari?" Shirogane asked, a slight tinge of worry in his voice. 

Hanari nodded, wiping tears from her face. "Yeah."

*******************

"Kyofu... a semi-grade 2," Michio muttered to himself, his gaze unwavering as he evaluated Kyofu's combat prowess. "But with that level of potential, he's bound for greatness."

Michio's gaze narrowed. Likely, by the end of this fight, Kyofu would likely reach semi-grade 1 levels of strength. Later in life, he might even become a special grader with that amount of cursed energy.

Turning slightly, Michio's attention was drawn to a disconcerting sensation—a pair of eyes fixed upon him from the shadows.

Meanwhile, Kyofu saw an opening and exploited it, landing a well-placed knee strike to the curse's midsection. The curse staggered but quickly recovered, lashing out with a vicious clawed swipe. Kyofu dove under the attack, his movements fluid.

As he straightened, he launched a lightning-fast combination—a left-right-left sequence that connected with the curse's torso. With a sudden twist, Kyofu evaded a sweeping kick and countered with a low roundhouse kick, sweeping the curse's legs out from under it. As the curse was airborne, Kyofu surged forward with a final strike—a spinning back kick that connected squarely with the curse's chest. The curse let out a pained roar before dissipating into dark wisps of cursed energy.

"Congratulations, Kyofu. You handled that better than I expected," he remarked, his tone a blend of pride and amusement.

Kyofu, brushing himself off with a faint scowl, replied tersely, "Thanks, I guess. It would've been nice if you hadn't left me hanging."

"Ah, but you learned, didn't you?" Michio chuckled lightly. "Sometimes, being thrown into the deep end is the best way to swim." Kyofu rolled his eyes but silently agreed.

***BOOM!!***

Michio was suddenly interrupted as a large blast of sound crashed into his backside as he crashed down next to Kyofu. He held his ears slightly, noting the oozing blood. Michio turned to face the source—a figure with fiery red hair and an eerie smile. "Seems like you're done sizing us up, huh?" Michio quipped, eyeing the mysterious figure warily.

The figure offered a smile.

*******************

Birds flew overhead as Hanari gazed at them. Shirogane broke the silence. "I'll be heading out on a mission soon," he mentioned casually. 

Hanari smiled and said, "Right. I'll be fine; I have Michio, Tobikizu, and Takeshi to protect me while you're gone."

Shirogane would nod. "You're sure you won't be the one protecting them? Me and you have the same technique; you likely have the same amount of potential as me, probably more, seeing as you've learned the reverse-cursed technique at such a young age."

Hanari nodded as Shirogane continued, "I'm sure you won't be far behind me in learning domain expansion."

Domain Expansion is an advanced barrier technique and is considered the pinnacle of jujutsu sorcery. It constructs the user's innate domain inside a barrier infused with their innate cursed technique. Within a domain expansion, the user's cursed techniques are improved, and any that are activated are guaranteed to hit.

Back in the chaos of the present, Hanari's eyes widened. She shouted to Takeshi, "I know what I have to do!" her voice cutting through the noise of the screaming. She began to sprint towards the crowd, Takeshi close behind.

She clasped her hands together and began weaving a series of strings with deliberate movements, essentially creating a ring with a mix of thicker strings on the barriers to keep civilians in and thinner strings on the inside to cut curses trapped inside. 

"I need you to blow a hole into the ground," Hanari called out. Takeshi nodded, and, with a decisive slam of his hands, the ground erupted, sending them underground into the heart of where the cursed spirits emerged.

******************

"Why do you want to hurt my brothers and sisters? What is wrong with you?" the curse named Arashi asked, surprising both Kyofu and Michio.

Michio was taken aback by the curse's ability to articulate. "What? What are you!?"

The curse frowned deeply. "I'm Arashi, Kazumi's friend, and you're here to hurt my brothers and sisters. Why are you trying to take his friends away from him, my gorgeous creator?"

Michio was taken aback by Arashi's demeanour. Something about the situation didn't add up. First of all, that technique was used earlier. It has something to do with sound waves; it was Akihiro's cursed technique! No. Impossible. Maybe it's just a coincidence that the techniques are similar.

Arashi leaped down and charged towards Kyofu and Michio with surprising speed.

Michio dodged a series of punches thrown by Arashi, who then opened his palm and unleashed a blast of sound waves, knocking Michio back. The similarity to Akihiro's technique was uncanny.

Meanwhile, Kyofu reacted swiftly, slamming his fist into Arashi's side. However, Arashi grimaced and gripped Kyofu's arm, throwing him back. Kyofu crossed his arms in an x-shape and unleashed a series of slashes, but Arashi reinforced his arms significantly, blocking the attacks. Unlike Tetsuya, Arashi's arms remained mostly unphased.

Arashi smiled, "Thank you for the lesson," he said smugly, looking in Michio's direction.

Michio's eyes widened with shock. That's why he was waiting. He was learning with Kyofu. He clenched his fist.

Arashi would continue, "I've always sensed this energy coming from everyone. He emits a lot of it, and now I understand the term 'cursed energy.' My creator made all my brothers and sisters using his technique. I want more like me. But more importantly," Arashi paused for a moment, a smile flickering onto his face.

"I'd kill to get stronger." 

Kyofu glared at him. That was something he resonated with.

Michio smirked slightly. "So you're eager to learn, right?" He said this, glancing at Kyofu. "Kyofu, listen close, and listen well."

Taking advantage of Arashi's curiosity, Michio opted for a binding vow. A binding vow is a pact made with jujutsu that creates conditions for themselves or agreements with others.

In this case, Michio made a binding vow called 'Revealing One's Hand': A Binding Vow that increases the user's cursed energy output in exchange for vocally divulging how their cursed technique functions. Unfortunately for Arashi, he was unaware of binding vows and was clueless about the buff it would grant to Michio.

"My technique, Combo Breaker," Michio began, "is about amplifying the force of each hit. With every strike I land, I add 14 pounds of force. The key is consistency—if my combo is interrupted, the multiplier resets. I can extend this technique to others, but they must maintain the combo without using their own cursed techniques or being interrupted."

Kyofu nodded in understanding, his gaze steady. Arashi smiled confidently, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "I'm open for the challenge," Arashi declared.

******************

Hanari's frustration boiled over, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Why the fuck would Michio bring him here!? Why?" she exclaimed, her anger palpable.

Takeshi, seeing Hanari's distress, stepped in firmly. "Stop being so selfish, Hanari! Michio grieves too; we all do! KEEP IT TOGETHER!" he pleaded.

Curses continued to swarm around them, the urgency of the situation pressing in. Hanari closed her eyes, her hands clasped tightly together.

Takeshi's voice softened, attempting to reason with her. "Listen, Hanari. I know you're worried, but we have a duty. This is what being a jujutsu sorcerer is about—facing danger head-on, protecting others."

Hanari's gaze darted between the swirling curses and the determined expression on Takeshi's face. "I can't stand by and watch this happen!"

"You can't let fear cloud your judgement," Takeshi urged, his tone firm but compassionate. "We're here to protect these people, including Kyofu."

The intensity of their argument faded into the background as Hanari closed her eyes, her mind racing with conflicting emotions. Finally, with a deep breath, she made her decision.

"DAMN IT! Damn it all!" she muttered under her breath.

[DOMAIN EXPANSION: CRIMSON WEB] 

******************

Kyofu surged forward, his movements swift and controlled. He launched a precise left jab towards Arashi's midsection, aiming to test the curse's defenses. Arashi swiftly sidestepped, narrowly evading the blow. Sensing an opening, Kyofu followed up with a spinning kick, aiming for Arashi's exposed flank.

Arashi anticipated the attack, countering with a powerful palm strike aimed at Kyofu's chest. The impact sent Kyofu staggering back, momentarily off-balance. As Kyofu regained his footing, Michio seized the opportunity. With lightning speed, Michio closed the distance and delivered a series of rapid punches towards Arashi's exposed side.

Arashi, caught off guard by Michio's sudden assault, redirected his attention towards the incoming attacks. He deflected Michio's strikes with reinforced arms, his bones visibly straining against the impact. In the midst of the chaos, Kyofu regrouped and launched a sweeping kick towards Arashi's legs, aiming to disrupt his balance.

Arashi responded with a wave of sound, unleashing a concussive blast towards Kyofu. The force of the blast knocked Kyofu off his feet, sending him skidding across the ground. Michio, anticipating Arashi's next move, swiftly evaded the attack, weaving through the sound waves. He diverted cursed energy to his ears, blocking off most sound.

As Arashi refocused his attention on Michio, Kyofu regained his footing. "Kyofu, focus on your timing," Michio shouted over the chaos. "Don't rush your movements. Use your instincts."

Kyofu gritted his teeth. He adjusted his stance, syncing with Michio's rhythm. Lock in.

Kyofu leaped forward, delivering a powerful overhead punch that connected with Arashi's reinforced arm, eliciting a grimace from the curse. The impact reverberated through Arashi's frame, causing him to stagger momentarily.

As Arashi attempted to counter, Michio darted in, his fists a blur of motion. Arashi struggled to keep up. Kyofu landed a sweeping kick to Arashi's midsection, followed by a series of jabs that began wearing down Arashi's stamina. 

The counter went up and up. Arashi began to get desperate. His eyes flickered to the back of his head. 

WAS THIS DEATH?

He remembered when that other sorcerer came by. It had the same technique that he was using right now. When Arashi touched him, the sorcerer simply died. 

Yes. That feeling of ripping was what made that sorcerer...well..them came back to them. He wanted to feel that again. His eyes flickered downward as he locked eyes with Kyofu.

He wanted his cursed technique. He had seen it briefly—those slashes. It'd do well against Michio to keep him at bay. But how was he going to do that again? He could only use one technique at a time. He had to get rid of the current technique he had stored, but how?

Arashi opened his mouth wide and began breathing in. Cursed energy swirled around his mouth like a tornado.

[MAXIMUM: ICHIGEKI]

Maximum Techniques: incredibly powerful offensive moves that condense Cursed Energy to its fullest potential. In that moment, Arashi had made his attempt at creating one. Though he was partially successful, he was unable to effectively condense cursed energy enough to replicate the destructive force maximum techniques were known for.

But he had created a small concussive blast that knocked Michio and Kyofu off their bearings, and unfortunately for the pair...

That was all he needed.

Arashi smiled sadistically as he leaned forward, dashing towards Kyofu with one arm outstretched.

Arashi's technique, 'Revenant Resonance', allows him to remove cursed techniques from others and use them for himself. When he forcibly removes a cursed technique, it causes instantaneous death to the person whose technique is taken. To acquire another cursed technique, Arashi must first extract the currently held one using a maximum technique, destroying the previously acquired technique in the process. 

Arashi's hand clasped against Kyofu's face.

In an instant, Arashi found himself in a dark place. There was a shrine in front of him. It cast an eerie red light around the dark landscape.

Kyofu's Innate Domain. 

Arashi realised three specific things in this innate domain. His eyes widened upon the third realisation. 

There were two souls inhabiting this one body!

Before he could properly articulate his thoughts, black sparks began to surround the entire domain. Arashi's face contorted with confusion. "What are these black sparks?!"

The sparks swirled around Arashi's face before, suddenly, he was brought back to the real world as Michio roared out triumphantly, having slammed his fist into Arashi's side.

"I made a promise!" Michio shouted through gritted teeth. His eyes swirled with intensity.

Black Flash!